Self-examination questions show an enquiring heart. 

Questions for self-examination.

Self-examination is something your doctor might advise; we would encourage it as well.

1. First Commandment: God

You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3)

What disappointments has God allowed in your life? How have these affected your love for him?

Pain and disappointment often reveal the degree to which we love and desire God’s gifts more than we love and desire him. Your confession will begin here.

2. Second Commandment: Worship

You shall not make for yourselves an idol. (Exodus 20:4)

In what ways would you want God to be different from who he is?

The desire for God to be different is idolatry. It shows discontent or dissatisfaction with who he is or what he does. This is a sin and will be part of your confession.

3. Third Commandment: False Religion

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. (Exodus 20:7)

In what ways do you least reflect the image and likeness of God?

Being a Christian means that you bear the name of Christ. People make judgments about Christ by what they see in those who bear his name. Use this part of your confession to ask God for growth in areas where you need to better reflect his character.

4. Fourth Commandment: Time, Work, and Rest

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work. (Exodus 20:8-9)

How could you improve what you offer in your working life? How can you better order your life so that you complete your work and preserve time for God and for other relationships God has entrusted to you?

God has set a pattern for your work and rest in the way that he created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. The pattern of God’s work gives us a template for work, reminding us that God calls us to be productive and to find joy in the work that he has given us to do. Take a careful look at the vigour of your work and the balance of your life.

5. Fifth Commandment: Authority

Honour your father and your mother. (Exodus 20:12)

Who has God placed in a position of authority in your life? What are they saying to you? How are you responding?

Father and mother are the first authority figures God places in your life. Difficulty in submitting to others often indicates difficulties in submitting to God’s authority over your life. Examine yourself carefully here.

6. Sixth Commandment: Peace

You shall not murder. (Exodus 20:13)

With whom are you most angry and frustrated at this time? Is there someone with whom you are looking to get even? Are you harbouring resentment in your heart?

Our Lord traced murder back to its roots in anger (Matthew 5:22). You may not be able to bring healing to every relationship, but you can guard your own heart. Confess any bitterness in your heart to God. Ask him to cleanse it from your soul.

7. Seventh Commandment: Purity

You shall not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)

In what ways have you given expression to lust?

Jesus traced adultery back to lust in the heart (Matthew 5:28). Lust will destroy your soul if you feed it and allow it to grow in your life. Your thoughts reveal who you are in your heart. Make an honest confession to God as you examine this area of your life.

8. Eighth Commandment: Integrity

You shall not steal. (Exodus 20:15)

How can I take less and give more?

God gives. Satan steals. The essence of stealing is that you take what God has trusted to someone else, but do not give what God has entrusted to you. Use this part of your self-examination to look at what you are taking from others and what you are giving back. Look especially at what you are receiving from God and what you are giving back to him.

9. Ninth Commandment: Truth

You shall not give false testimony. (Exodus 20:16)

What has God trusted to me?

In the ninth commandment, God calls you to be a person who can be trusted. Make a list of what God has entrusted to you. Take an honest look at how you are being faithful or unfaithful with that trust. Ask God to prepare you for what he will entrust to you in the future.

10. Tenth Commandment: Contentment

You shall not covet. (Exodus 20:17)

What are the greatest desires of your heart right now? How do these relate to God’s purpose in your life?

All of our sins flow from the root problem of sin that lies in the human heart. Being a sinner, you desire the wrong things. You don’t find joy or satisfaction in the right things. That is why God gives you his Spirit to change and renew your heart. Use this final part of your self-examination to look beyond sins you have committed to sins that may be growing undetected in your heart. Ask God to cleanse your heart of wrong desires and to keep you from future sins.